The operations of special forces, which include combat at close range directly in a city and firing contact at small and ultra-small distances, require special types of guns, new methods of handling those, as well as special equipment. Such equipment also includes tactical gun slings allowing quick and easy gun handling.
Several types of tactical gun slings distinguished by the type of fixation to a firearm are currently known.
They include, for example, the tactical single-point sling, which is fixed to a gun at single point, usually on the butt of the gun. The single-point gun sling comprises a sling designed in the form of a length-adjustable loop and having an element for fixing to the gun (see. US Application No. US 2006/0208016, IPC F41C 23/02, 2006).
The main feature of the prior-art tactical sling is that it ensures maximum freedom for the gun. The gun is easily directed in any direction, can be fitted into the silhouette of the operator when passing through doorways and other narrow places, and can be easily moved from one shoulder to the other.
The main drawback of such a gun sling is the large amplitude of swinging of the gun in the free position. To overcome this drawback it is necessary to install special clamps what greatly complicates a design.
The most popular sling at present time is a two-point gun sling comprising a length-adjustable sling having at its ends elements for fixing to the gun (see. US Application No. US 2004/0188476, IPC F41C 23/02, 2004). The two-point gun sling enables the operator to quickly and easily adjust the length of the sling. By pulling one end of the sling, it is possible to change the length of the sling quickly so that the gun moves directly close to body, and vice versa, to restore its original length.
The drawback of such gun sling is that its design does not allow the operator to perform the movement of the gun to the other shoulder without changing position of the sling system on his body in process or without taking off the said sling system from his body at all.
The most perfect tactical gun sling is currently the three-point gun sling made of a length-adjustable sling in the form of a loop and having two elements for fixing to a gun and a third fixing element, which is used when moving the gun from one position into another. This element is mounted in such manner that it is able to move along the sling (see. US Application No. US 2007/0278262, IPC F41 C 23/02, 2007). This sling is intended for comfortable transportation of a gun. The design of such sling enables it to take a fixed position on the operator's body, and the design makes it possible to toss up a gun from any position, i.e., it is most balanced, according to the requirements to a gun sling system and it is one of the most popular among professional soldiers of special forces.
However, this design does not provide necessary comfort and freedom of action because a tight fit of a personal gun to body is impossible, and excessive adjustment of sling length makes it very difficult to fire the gun even when this sling system is actually transformed into a single-point system.
The gun sling that is most close in terms of design and principle of action is a gun sling comprising a length-adjustable sling in form of a loop, front sling mount, a quick-release element for fixing to a gun barrel unit and an element for fixing to butt of a gun, a sling adjustment unit, an adjustment strap passing through the sling adjustment unit, one end of which is fixed through the quick-release element to the front sling mount, and the second one remains free, while movement limiters are mounted close to the sling adjustment unit to limit the movement of said sling adjustment unit in both directions (see. Russian Patent No. RU2421675 for invention, “DOLG m2™ tactical gun sling,” IPC F41C 23/02, publication date Jun. 20, 2011).
This sling design makes it possible to increase comfort and freedom of action when moving the gun and using it.
Its drawback is that it does not make it possible to adjust sling length quickly due to rather small margin for adjusting the basic loop, and the limited possibility of transforming and using the gun.